a trip to rio is not complete without an ample amount of time spent soaking up the sun on the beach, and like most other public places, there are general trends of behavior followed by the locals and watchful visitors - once at the beach individuals will notice that topless tanning on the beach is almost never seen - all locals keep their bathing suit tops on when sunbathing in copacabana and ipanema.

another noticeable characteristic of the beaches in rio de janeiro are the use of colorful cangas, sarongs, instead of beach towels - cariocas are aware that cotton towels build up bacteria and are not a easy to clean after a day at the beach - cangas pack very well, are extremely light, and come in a variety of beautiful colors and designs.

cangas are used to lay out on the sand, and as cover ups for individuals to tie around the waist or fashion into a dress-  sarongs are sold along  the boardwalks and by vendors on the sand - purchasing one, or two, while vacationing in rio de janeiro is almost necessary for the participation in a variety of beach activities.